One
by Becks7
Summary: A Planeteer reunion. Their lives have gone in different directions, but sometimes you just can't deny fate and the one you're supposed to be with.
1. Chapter 1: Intro

**Hello...it's me...I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to read...haha, sorry, couldn't resist some Adele!**

 **I promise, I've been writing (LouiseX can vouch for me). I just haven't been able to finish anything and I don't want to start posting and leaving things unfinished (I may have a few of those on here already. I'm planning on working on that one next!). Anyway, I heard this song called "One" as I was sitting outside on my porch this fall. Wine and Ed Sheeran leads to thinking of fanfic ideas...who knew?! Actually, a lot of his songs make me think of them, but that might have something to do with his scruffy red hair making me think of a certain Yankee! So, here's my latest fic. It's the 66th one that I've started (but maybe only the 25th that I've finished!) so I hope that gives you a little bit of proof that I've been writing and thinking about our favorite Planeteers. If I ever win the lottery, I'll have more free time, or if this writing thing ever became a paying gig! Speaking of...**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Planeteer characters and I am not making any money off this or any other fic. I do own the characters that I made up, but I'm not making any money off them either. Damn free loaders!**

 **Rated M for some foul language in parts, and suggestive adult situations, but otherwise a clean, environmentally friendly fic!**

* * *

 _ **One**_

When the original Planeteers moved on and were replaced by the next generation, they made an agreement that they would get together on the same date, every other year. Often times they would meet up in between that time if their jobs or personal travel brought them into close proximity of each other. Two Planeteers in particular have remained close and still saw each other every day...not the pair you'd expect though. Linka and Kwame are both working in Greece, where many animals are abandoned when they are no longer considered useful, or not given proper medical treatment when a working animal such as a donkey has been overworked or is too old.

Kwame and Linka's group provides education to younger Greeks in the hopes that they will grow up having more compassion for animals than their parents and grandparents had when they were growing up. They also provide free veterinary care to ailing animals and encourage their owners to retire the animal, relinquish it to their care, and replace it with more modern technology. Their efforts have been very successful over the years. Many sanctuaries have been created for these "beasts of burden" to retire to and live out the rest of their days just grazing in fields.

Stray dogs and cats are also a problem that Kwame and Linka have to deal with, but trap, neuter, and release programs have helped control the population and community cooperation with maintaining food and watering stations has helped cut back on starving animals roaming the streets and looking sickly.

Gi is living in Florida as a marine biologist and conservationist, no surprise there. She gives many presentations and travels a lot, which gives her the most opportunities to meet up with her former teammates.

Her closest former Planeteer is Ma-Ti, who is living in Mexico and working as a counselor. His specialty is children who have lost parents, but he also provides services as a relationship counselor. Matters of the heart were always meant to be his calling.

Wheeler is a real estate developer in Los Angeles. He is the anti-Looten Plunder. All of his property is developed with the environment in mind. Special care is taken to preserve the local Eco system and sustain it. The buildings that he builds on his land are all eco friendly as well. More importantly, he has proven that you can be successful and profitable while still "going green." Others in the industry have taken notice and are following his lead.

Everyone has been successful in their own way and continue to be stewards of the Earth, even without their rings and the help of Captain Planet, just as Gaia had intended. Each time they get together, they enjoy hearing of each other's endeavors and getting back to that sense of camaraderie that they always shared. For two Planeteers in particular though, these meetings are always bittersweet.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

 **Well, what do you think? Care to see what they've been up to or where they end up?**

 **Thanks as always to LouiseX for being my guinea pig and letting me bounce ideas off her. And thanks to Miss Mango for the encouragement, whether she realizes it or not!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. You've reminded me how much I missed sharing my little hobby with other Captain Planet (ok, Wheeler and Linka) fans.**

* * *

A delayed flight has Linka running later than she had originally planned. She hates being late. It feels like the taxi that she picked up at the airport is driving around in circles.

 _How far could the hotel possibly be?_ She wonders.

Thankfully the driver was not talkative, which meant Linka had some time to think and get even more excited about seeing her friends. She had assumed it was just going to be the original five Planeteers plus Georgie. Kwame married Georgie shortly before the Planeteers went their separate ways. Linka and Georgie have become good friends during their time in Greece so while Georgie may not have been an official Planeteer, she was like part of the group.

Ma-Ti is also married but his wife just started a new job and does not have enough vacation time built up to join the reunion.

Gi has a long term boyfriend named Eric, whom she met at work and hit it off with instantly. Unfortunately her boyfriend is too tied up in a research project to come. He is the lead researcher and is on the verge of a breakthrough.

To everyone else's knowledge, Wheeler has remained single. He is always so submerged in his work, he has little time for a social life. His work leaves him with no time to keep in touch with anyone. At least that's what they all assume has been the reason for his lack of communication.

Linka is seeing someone that she met through work. His name is Ivan, and he is also from Russia. That connection initiated their friendship, which eventually led to dating. Linka has always known that he feels more serious about their relationship than she does. She has always been cautious with her affections and while she enjoys spending time with him and he treats her well, she doesn't have the same feelings for him that she has had in the past. There are no butterflies with Ivan.

There haven't been butterflies since she left Hope Island behind; Since Wheeler. Even though she and the Yankee had never had a relationship other than friendship, he was the only one who made her feel anything, which is why she knows it will never work with Ivan; Not as long as there is a chance with Wheeler. She feels guilty for feeling this way. She doesn't want to hurt Ivan, but she needs answers. She hopes this reunion with her friends will give her what she is looking for. She thought their last reunion was going to be the moment the stars finally aligned and she and Wheeler would have their moment...but once again, they had been interrupted. She smiles thinking of the possibilities that this weekend will hold.

She is looking forward to seeing her friends; Just the five of them and Georgie. What she is really looking forward to the most is feeling those butterflies once again. She has missed the way Wheeler made her feel.

* * *

Linka is surprised when she arrives to find that it isn't going to be just the original crew. Everyone has brought a companion. Everyone but her. She has showed up alone. Wheeler on the other hand, has not.

She is the last one to arrive to dinner and takes one of the two empty seats after hugging each of her friends and an awkward, for her anyway, introduction to Wheeler's companion.

"Kwame, you were right to fly out last night. We had some bad weather this morning and I was not even able to do what I had planned on doing at the sanctuary," Linka sighs.

"So the whole reason you didn't fly out the same time as us, was a wash anyway?" Georgie asks.

"Literally," Linka shakes her head. She decides not to dwell on it and just be thankful that she's finally made it. She then addresses Gi's boyfriend. "Eric, I did not think you were going to make it. Did your research not pan out?"

"No, quite the opposite actually. Things progressed faster than I thought they would. It allowed me and my team to get our answers much faster than anticipated and I was able to be here to meet the rest of Gi's friends in person. I've met Ma-Ti and Rosa a few times before, and you of course, but this is my first chance to meet Kwame and Wheeler. Gi has told me so much about the Planeteers, I feel like I know everyone already."

"Well I am glad you were able to make it. It will give me another chance to get to know you better and make sure you are good enough for my best friend," Linka teases. She then turns to Ma-Ti's wife. "And Rosa, the last I heard, you were not going to be able to join us because you did not have enough leave?"

"Yes, that is what I thought too. Technically, I still do not have enough leave, but my boss is very good. She told me that she was ok with me taking the time and just owing it to the company later. She did not want me to miss out on seeing Paris with my husband," she says as she smiles lovingly at Ma-Ti.

"That was nice of her," Kwame says.

"So where is Ivan? Still getting checked into the hotel?" Gi inquires.

"Nyet. He is still in Greece."

"He is not coming?" Ma-Ti asks.

Linka shakes her head and orders a glass of wine when the waiter comes around to get her drink order.

"That's not fair. If you're going to be judging my boyfriend, I should get to judge yours!" Gi jokes.

"You have met him before," Linka reminds her.

"Then the rest of us could have judged him," Wheeler says, his voice showing no emotion, making it hard for her to judge if he was jealous or joking.

There they were. Those familiar feelings that Wheeler always managed to stir up. Unfortunately, they were the unpleasant sort.

"Excuse me, I am going to freshen up in the restroom. It has been a long trip. Go ahead and order without me," Linka says as she grabs her purse and leaves the table.

* * *

While she is re-applying her lipstick, Gi comes in, pretending she's there to do the same.

"Wheeler can still manage to be an ass, eh?"

"I had not noticed," Linka lies, pretending to concentrate on lining her lips.

"So why wasn't Ivan able to come?" Gi asks.

"I thought it was just going to be the five of us and Georgie. I thought he'd be out of place. Now it is I who is the odd one out."

"It's not like we are going to exclude you. To be honest, I'll probably spend more time with you than I will with Eric. I can see him anytime. I came here to see you! And the guys," she adds with a smile.

"I know...it is just...I thought things would be more...intimate, with our smaller crowd. Kind of like how things were before."

"Ah. Back when you and Wheeler could have your 'moments'?" Gi teases.

"It was stupid to expect that things would be the same," Linka says quietly.

"Wait, seriously?" Gi asks in a shocked tone. "You left Ivan behind because you wanted to see how things would be with Wheeler?!"

Realizing that she had been thinking out loud, Linka tries to backpedal.

"Umm, well. Nyet, I just meant that I did not want to subject Ivan to Wheeler's jealous behavior, but clearly that was foolish. Wheeler has moved on. He would not have cared if I came here with someone else. It is as I always suspected...he was only ever interested in me because I was convenient. Once we left Hope Island, he managed to find someone else."

"I'm willing to bet that she's only for show. Some ditzy co-worker that he asked to come along so he can gauge your reaction. Guess it worked," Gi says with a knowing smile.

"Well that is a very elaborate scheme."

"Not really. It probably didn't take much convincing. He's charming and she probably saw it as an opportunity to get a free vacation out of it."

"And a free engagement ring? That is a pretty big ring for a pretend date," Linka points out.

"Seriously?! I didn't notice. I haven't really talked to her much...and I don't really have as much reason as you to be so observant of her. Odd that he didn't introduce her as his fiancé."

Linka tries to change the subject.

"We should get back out there. Any longer and they will expect us to come back looking like we have had a full makeover and wardrobe change."

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Gi asks, blocking the exit.

"What I came here to do. I have gotten my answers. My closure. Now I will enjoy my time with my friends."

Linka straightens her back and squares her shoulders, ready to put on a brave face and take on whatever challenges the evening is about to bring.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome to the new readers and thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

They arrive back to the table just as the waiter brings Linka's drink and asks if they are ready to order. By the time everyone else places their orders, Linka has had time to look at the menu and decides what she wants. She also decides to switch up her drink. Vodka martini. Extra dirty.

"Feel better?" Georgie asks.

"Da...amazing what a fresh layer of lipstick can do," Linka says with a smile, determined not to let her mood be soured...or at least not to let it show that it is.

"Other than the three hour delay, was your trip ok?" Ma-Ti asks, making conversation.

"Da...the delay was not so bad once I accepted the fact that I was going to be late. There was nothing that could be done. I just continued reading a new eBook that I had recently purchased."

"Anything you would recommend?" Rosa asks.

"The 50 Shades of Grey series is so great! I can't put those books down!" Stephanie pipes in.

Linka is having a hard time not saying that she doubted Stephanie would be able to put down a coloring book. She tries her best not to roll her eyes when she replies.

"Nyet, I do not read much fiction and from what I've heard, it is very poorly written." Then Linka addresses Rosa, "It is a book called 'Alex and Me' written by a woman who talks about the bond she shared with her African Grey Parrot. It is very touching. I had to stop a few times because it was making my eyes water. I would take a break and play some games. Which reminds me, it is your move in Scrabble, Georgie."

"I can't believe I'm losing to someone who's first language isn't even English!" Georgie says, shaking her head.

The waiter returns with a basket of rolls for the table and Linka's drink.

"Do any of you play Candy Crush?" Stephanie asks. "I'm stuck on level 143."

Eric responds that he does and they promptly add each other as Facebook friends so they can send each other lives.

Gi takes this opportunity to scope out the ring on Stephanie's left hand when she passes the basket of rolls and speaks up.

"That's a very pretty ring Stephanie. It looks like an antique. Is it a family heirloom?"

"No, it's brand new. I like the old fashioned look to it though."

"Is it an engagement ring?" Rosa asks, having been told, more like warned, by Ma-Ti of the history and denied feelings between Wheeler and Linka. He thought they would be dealing with an uncomfortable situation between Linka's boyfriend and Wheeler, not the other way around.

"Yes!" Stephanie beams. "We weren't going to say anything until after you all had gotten a chance to catch up...didn't want all the attention to be shifted to me."

Gi and Linka share a look and subtly roll their eyes, a look that doesn't go unnoticed by Wheeler, who is sitting directly across the table from Linka.

"He did good, didn't he?" Stephanie says as she shows off her diamond to the group.

"It is beautiful," Georgie says.

"I know...I picked it out!" Stephanie giggles.

"I thought you said Wheeler did good?" Gi says.

"Well, he paid for it and was there when I picked it out...but I figure, if I'm the one who's going to have to wear it, it should be something I like."

"If you love someone, the material part should not matter. The fact that someone asked you to spend the rest of your life with them should be a good enough reason to say yes if you love them and want to be with them forever," Linka says, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, but my sister got engaged last year. I had to make sure my ring was nicer than hers," Stephanie giggles, a sound Linka found especially annoying. "Do you have a sister?"

"Nyet."

"Then you don't get it."

Linka finishes her drink in three gulps and raises her glass to get their waiter's attention for a refill.

"So Linka...you have some news for us as well, right?" Georgie says, thinking she is doing Linka a favor by changing the subject.

Linka gives her a questioning look.

"I do?"

Kwame tries to get his wife to drop it with a warning tone.

"Georgie..."

"Oh Kwame, it's no secret. Ivan was telling everyone he was going to propose."

"You're engaged too?! And when were you planning on telling your best friend?" Gi says, trying to cover her hurt with happiness.

"Gi, I..."

"Soooo, where's your ring?!" Stephanie asks, her mind only focused on one thing, although she's a little disappointed that she has to share the attention now.

"Perhaps we should all just stop with the interrogation and go back to enjoying our appetizers," Ma-Ti says, the former Heart Planeteer still in tune to his teammate's feelings.

"Thank you Ma-Ti...but it is ok...the word would have gotten out and Kwame and Georgie would have found out from our co-workers eventually."

"So it's true?" Gi asks.

"It is true. Ivan asked me to marry him."

Her announcement is met with a chorus of congratulations. Even Wheeler tried his best to smile and be happy for her. He had moved on from his infatuation with her...he always knew the day would come where he'd find out she was married and starting a family.

"Thank you," Linka says with a weak smile. "But I am afraid your congratulations have been wasted. I did not accept his proposal."

Perfectly timed, the waiter arrives with Linka's refill, which she acknowledges and takes a long sip.

"What?! Why?" Gi asks. "I thought you two were serious."

"I was just not ready to settle."

"He's gorgeous and such a nice guy," Georgie says, a hint of sadness in her voice that things may not be working out for the couple.

"Yeah, but what was his bank account like?" Stephanie says. "If you're working for a charity, he can't have had that much to spare. I am sure anything that he did have went to the cause...right? My advice is, find a guy in Real Estate."

She smiles at Wheeler and once again holds up the hand with her new engagement ring to prove her point. It just rubs salt in the wound and Linka feels a dagger to her heart.

"Ivan's family practically kept our organization afloat," Georgie informs Stephanie. "If you consider him, 'settling' I hate to say it Linka, but your expectations might be a bit too high!"

"Linka has always had high expectations," Wheeler says, downing his beer.

"I don't think you'll find many guys as perfect as him," Georgie gushes before adding, "Besides you Kwame."

"Settle down...I was not ready to settle down, I should have said," Linka corrects herself.

"Well if you do not mind my saying so, you should have no problem finding someone else," Eric says.

"Thank you...I do not mind, but Gi might!"

"Nah, I'm used to you always getting the attention," Gi teases.

"Well Linka, I think it is admirable to you had the courage to follow your heart. In my line of work, I see too many couples who are just not able to salvage their relationship because they were never compatible to begin with. Many people end up together because they do not want to be alone so they choose to settle down thinking they will eventually convince themselves that they love the one they are with. Stay strong my friend. I know you will end up with the right person who will make you feel like 'settling down' as you say."

"Thank you Ma-Ti," Linka says politely, although she does not believe him. She believes she has missed her chance at happiness. "I think that when I get back to Greece, Ivan and I will have a talk. Just because I said 'no' now does not mean that I want to end our relationship...I just needed time to process things...to think about what I really want. I think I will be ready in time."

* * *

The rest of the evening was less serious once the subject matter turned to lighter things. Now that they all knew what was going on in Linka's personal life, the rest began sharing theirs. Since they had all traveled that day, no one was in any condition to stay out very late. They agreed to have an early night and meet in the hotel lobby for breakfast the next day and then decide on their plans for the day. The only definitive plan they had was "meet in Paris on May 3rd." What they did once they got there was open to discussion.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**

 **PS The book I chose for Linka to read is a book I bought years ago...I started crying in the store when I read the back cover and haven't even had the courage to actually read it! I'm sure it's great though!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to those who have reviewed. I had several "Guest" reviews and we can't reply to them, but I wanted to say thanks. Also, some noticed that Stephanie was the exact opposite of Linka. Good eye. That's what I was going for!**

* * *

Wheeler stands on the balcony of his hotel room, getting some fresh air. He drank more than he should have at dinner, switching from beer to bourbon once his meal came, so he thought the fresh air would help...the shower hadn't. Stephanie was already fast asleep, but when he tried laying down, the room started to spin and his stomach started to churn. That is when he decided to step outside. Movement in the courtyard catches his attention. Someone is standing on the walking bridge that spans the small Coy Pond and is looking down into it. Linka.

He moves back away from the railing, not wanting her to turn around and see that she's being watched. He sits in one of the chairs as he continues to observe. She still looks the same. Her hair is down, that is rare. Or at least it used to be. Maybe it is common now. He likes it, but he misses the pony tail. He misses his time as a Planeteer. He misses his friends. He misses Linka. Arguing with her. Getting her all wound up and frustrated. Flirting with her. He thought things would be different when they were no longer Planeteers. He was right...unfortunately, it wasn't a good thing. He didn't imagine that they'd end up on opposite sides of the world. He thought they'd have some great revelation on their last day on Hope Island and they'd declare their love for each other and vow to be together; to go wherever the other one was going. He had no idea what he wanted to do back then anyway. She probably did. He was prepared to follow her anywhere. None of that happened though. No grand declaration of love. No promises to stay together. Hell, she couldn't even be bothered to give him a hug goodbye. She and Kwame got into the Geo Cruiser and simply waved farewell. She didn't even hug Gi or Ma-Ti. He figured they'd already had a private moment. He had shaken Kwame's hand, but when he moved to approach Linka, she had already turned her back and was headed towards the Geo Cruiser. It was as if she couldn't get away fast enough.

Their last reunion had been a bit more encouraging. She seemed genuinely interested in what he had been doing and happy to hear that he was doing so well. She even said she was proud of him. He had never been so happy to hear that...not even when his dad had said it. Hearing it from Linka was validation. It made him think that maybe he was finally good enough for her. He held out hope that things would be different. The scenario that he'd imagined when they left the Planeteers was starting to play out in his head again. _THIS_ would be the moment that things would change for them, now that he had made something of himself, proven that he could provide for her and be a responsible adult. She was even more receptive to his flirting. Things came to a screeching halt though when he had to go back to L.A. because one of his deals was about to fall through when a seller decided at the last minute that they wanted to hang onto their property. They would not speak to anyone but Wheeler and he could not convince them otherwise over the phone. He needed to cut his vacation short and fly back to L.A. in the early morning hours.

He was considering a trip to Greece to surprise Linka and called Kwame to help him coordinate. That is when he got the news that she was dating someone. Part of him said to plan the trip anyway. Fight for her. But part of him said to let her go. They had known each other for 10 years and nothing ever happened between them. If she was at all interested in pursuing something with him, it would have happened by now. When he learned more about her new "friend" and discovered that he was Russian also, Wheeler officially gave up. A few weeks ago when Kwame had texted Wheeler to give him a "heads up" that Ivan was going to propose to Linka, Wheeler did what any irrational, scorned man would do...he'd gotten engaged as well. He didn't want his friends feeling sorry for him. He didn't want Linka to think that he'd never move on. He'd been seeing Stephanie casually for a while. She liked him a lot. He liked her enough. Lately, he liked when she'd read those silly "romance" novels and want to try things.

But back to the present; Linka wasn't engaged. She said no. She wasn't ready. What was holding her back? Could it possibly be him?

He pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs his eyes.

"That's the bourbon talking," he mumbles.

He stands up, goes inside, and heads down to the courtyard. He may have known that the bourbon was talking, but he was still listening.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Once again, thanks for all of your kind words and follows. This one is for Shani!**

* * *

"If you puke in the pond, the fish will probably eat it."

Linka jumps at the voice of an unexpected visitor. She turns to look at him and furrows her brow.

"That is disgusting."

He smiles and puts his jacket around her shoulders.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? I thought you were tired," he says.

"Ever been too tired to sleep? I got to my room and was wide awake. Why are you not in bed?" She asks.

"Because when I laid down, the room started spinning."

"Da...I may have had that happen to me too when I sat down."

"I don't think I've ever seen you drunk before," he says.

"And I have never seen you drunk either...do you...do this often now?"

"Am I a drunk like my dad, you mean?"

"Nyet that is not what I..."

He cuts her off with his explanation,

"I'm not...I was just...thirstier than usual tonight."

Linka thought about Stephanie. She was the reason Linka drank so much...she has probably driven Wheeler to drinking too!

"Da. Me too."

They stand there in silence until Wheeler moves to the railing and looks down into the water. Linka turns around and mirrors his posture leaning on her arms.

"Soooo," he sighs.

"So."

"How are things?" He asks.

"Fine. You?"

"Good."

A moment of awkward silence follows before Linka addresses the elephant in the room...or on the bridge in this instance.

"Your fiancé seems nice," she lies, but trying to make polite conversation.

"Yeah, she seems to like me, so I guess she's a keeper," he half jokes.

"That is good. I am glad you are happy."

"Thanks...what about you? Are you happy?"

"Da."

"Even though you said no to Ivan? Or _because_ you said no to Ivan?"

"You think hurting him made me happy?!" She asks, taking offense.

"No, I meant maintaining your 'single' status. I know how much you like your independence."

"You think I _WANT_ to be alone?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I know that's _NOT_ what you want. That's also why I know that line about not being ready to settle down was total bullshit...that's all you've ever wanted; someone who was ready to be in a serious relationship and settle down. That's why you never gave me a chance, right? You didn't think I was capable of settling down? And now look, I'm the one who's engaged and you're the one who's not ready."

"Are _YOU_ ready? This all seems so sudden. No one even knew you were dating anyone and you show up here…engaged."

"Maybe I met someone who I couldn't live without, so I asked her to marry me…is that so hard to believe? That someone could love me?"

"Nyet, it is very easy to believe that someone could fall for you…I just…never mind."

"Say it," he encourages.

"I do not know how to say it without sounding full of myself."

"You didn't think I'd ever get over you?" He states.

"Which is clearly not true…obviously you have."

"I didn't really have much choice. You were halfway across the world, living a separate life, and seeing someone. I heard things were getting serious…I guess that wasn't true?"

"I do not think Ivan was ready either. I think he was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of me coming here...seeing you."

"He was afraid of seeing me? I never even met the guy. Why would he be scared of me?" He asks, his brain still in a bourbon fog.

"He was afraid of _ME_ seeing you."

"Oh?"

"It was only a few days after I mentioned that our Planeteer reunion was coming up that he proposed," she explains.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I think he was threatened by you. I sensed his jealousy any time I would ask Kwame about you."

"You asked about me?"

"Da...it was the only way I could find out how you were doing since you kept in touch with Kwame more than me."

"I thought that's how you wanted it."

"What? Why would you think that?!"

Over the years, he's had a million different scenarios run through his head about what his life would be like if he'd gotten his 'perfect goodbye' with Linka, or if they'd kept in touch more frequently. Why was he so scared to reach out to her? Even if they'd only texted, or emailed, or called once in a while, maybe it would have been enough contact to build on...to keep her from falling for someone else.

"You didn't even say goodbye," he finally says.

"Excuse me?"

"When we left Hope Island. You couldn't get away from me fast enough. All those years we were friends...I never hid how I felt...and you couldn't even give me a fucking hug goodbye? Were you that scared that I'd do something stupid, like declare my love?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I could not? I did not know **how** I was going to say goodbye to you, so I chose not to."

"Well, it hurt like hell. FYI."

"I know. I thought it would be easier, but I regretted it every day. I was hoping things would be different the last time we had a reunion. Then it was you who left without saying goodbye."

"Yeah, but when I left a note for the front desk to deliver to you explaining why I had to leave and giving you my card with my contact information, I never heard from you. I figured you were pissed at me and didn't want to speak to me."

"I never got anything from the front desk! I found out from Ma-Ti that you had left. I would have called you if I had gotten your note or knew your number…I wish you would have told me in person that you were leaving; had a proper goodbye."

"I had to leave at 3am to catch a flight. Didn't want to wake everyone up."

"I would not have minded. I was looking forward to our plans that day. I still have not gotten to see the Eifel Tower."

"Well there it is," he says, pointing to their left. "Now we got to see it together after all."

"Not exactly what I had in mind."

"Maybe we can fit it in this weekend."

She smiles, knowing that he means well, but it will not be the same as it would have been two years ago.

"So, how is the wedding planning going?" She asks, trying to act like it doesn't upset her.

"I've got no say in any of that. Steph is just doing her thing."

"It is your wedding too. You should get what you want."

"Why start now?" He mumbles.

"What?"

"I'm used to not getting what I want," his tone sad and his words holding a double meaning.

"That is not how it should be."

"Yeah...nothing is how it _SHOULD_ be."

"How should it be?"

Before he could over think it and stop himself, he leans in to capture her lips. Despite her initial shock, she begins to respond and allow him to deepen the kiss. Soon she has her arms wrapped around his back and is holding him to her. He has also placed one hand on the small of her back and the other on the back of her head, keeping them as close as possible. His hand moves downward, over her backside, and down her thigh, slipping beneath the hem of her black skirt and caressing her skin before moving upwards until he reaches the silky garment covering her. She slides her hands up his back to entwine in his hair, tugging gently to get him to pull back slightly.

"Wait..." she says, breathless.

"Don't...don't..." he pleads bending his head to kiss her neck as he attempts to persuade her not to send him away.

She holds his head in place and turns to brush her lips against his ear.

"Not here. Not out in the open. I am not one of those characters in Stephanie's cheesy sex novels."

He straightens up to look at her and takes her face in his hands.

"No, you're definitely not. You're not an object. You deserve to be worshiped."

"I am also not a one night stand."

"Good...cuz I want to spend every night with you," he says, kissing her once again.

"What about your fiancé?"

"She wouldn't even be my fiancé if things had been different the last time we were here. If we'd have gotten to go on our Eifel Tower tour, this would have happened a lot sooner...there's a very good chance YOU'D be my fiancé...at least I hope that's what would have happened. I know you said you weren't ready to settle down..."

She puts her finger against his lips to stop him.

"I would have said yes to you. It has always been you."

She pulls him down for another kiss to confirm her words.

"So are we going back to my room or what?" She asks with a sly smile.

"I thought you'd never ask."

He steps away to allow her to step away from the railing of the bridge, but only long enough to tuck her under his arm and lead her inside.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter contains adult themes. If that offends you...too damn bad! I mean, skip this chapter and wait for the next. ;) As always, thanks for reading and reviewing.**

* * *

The elevator barely closes before his lips are upon hers once again. Linka manages to hit the button for her floor, but cannot distinguish if the tingling in her stomach is from the sudden ascent or from kissing Wheeler. He's got her pinned against the wall, his body pressing into her, his hands claiming her. It is possessive, but not violent. She yearns for more. She needs him closer. She wants to feel his skin against hers, all barriers removed. These thoughts only fuel her desire more.

The doors open and she whimpers her disappointment when he releases her. They step out of the elevator and he puts his arm around her waist, leaning on each other for support as the effects of the alcohol still impairs their motor functions. The lack of oxygen and blood rushing from their heads may have something to do with it too. When they arrive at her door, he stands behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the back of her neck. Her hand shakes as she tries to swipe her key card to unlock the door, the anticipation building.

Once inside, as soon as the door is closed, Wheeler spins her around and presses her against it, immediately kissing her neck and making his way upwards until their lips meet. She begins unbuttoning his shirt, but once again her shaky hands make the task difficult. Wheeler is having better luck and has made short work of getting her blouse open and off, his hands now able to caress her bare skin. Wanting to be able to do the same and getting frustrated with her inability to get his buttons undone, she grasps the two sides of his shirt and pulls, sending the small plastic discs flying.

"Sorry," she apologizes, but only half meaning it.

He takes her face in his hands and brings his lips to hers.

"Don't be," he says against them.

Wheeler presses his hips forward, pushing his pelvis into hers. She lifts her leg to wrap it around his waist. He moves his hands to rest on her hips and lifts her so that she can wrap both legs around him. Linka puts her arms around his neck to hold herself up, her new elevated position giving him the perfect vantage point to place tender kisses along the outline of her bra. With her body pinned to the door and Linka supporting most of her weight by holding on to him, Wheeler is able to let his hands move from her waist to her thighs, sliding his hands under her skirt and pushing it upwards so that it is bunched around her hips. Placing his hands beneath her, he carries the blonde beauty to the bed and lays her down, covering her body with his. They kiss for quite some time, his lips moving over her neck and shoulders when the need to catch their breath arises. It is not long before their lips come back into contact, and they are savoring the moment, a moment that they've been waiting years for.

Linka begins working on Wheeler's belt and unfastening his trousers. She has better luck with that than she did his shirt. He has also managed to get the zipper of her skirt undone. She raises her hips off the bed to help him slip it off. He grasps her panties and removes them at the same time. She pushes his pants off his hips so he can kick them off. Wheeler wastes no time in removing his boxers too. Next, he slips his hand under her and unhooks her bra, pulling it off her shoulders and tossing it aside. He immediately drops his head to her chest and takes her in his mouth. When she reaches between them and takes him in her hand, he looks up, experiencing a brief moment of clarity of what is about to happen.

"This isn't the alcohol talking, right? You want this?"

"Da…you?"

"More than anything I've ever wanted before, Babe."

She smiles up at him.

"'Babe'…that is the first time I have heard that in a long time…I have missed that…I have missed **_you_** , Yankee."

He smiles back at her use of her old term of endearment…at least, that's the way he'd always thought of it.

"I missed you too…if this happens, I'm never going to be able to let you go."

" _WHEN_ it happens…and I hope you do not ever let me go."

She positions him at her entrance and wraps her legs around him, pulling him forward, their eyes lock as they are joined.

"I love you," she finally confesses.

"I love you too," he responds, kissing her as he buries himself fully within her.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope you all had an nice weekend! Here's a little something to finish it off.**

* * *

The need to urinate woke Wheeler, the alcohol working its way out of his system. He ignored the urge for as long as he could. Spooning behind a naked Linka was far more appealing to him. She was still sleeping soundly. Wheeler noticed that another side effect, besides the full bladder, was a mild headache starting to form behind his eyes. Reluctantly, he slipped out from under the covers and headed to the bathroom.

After relieving himself, he looked around to see if Linka had any headache medicine in her toiletry bag. None that he could see. He decided to try her purse, feeling guilty for rummaging through her things, but figuring that after last night, they really did not have anything to hide from each other. Unfortunately, he did not see her purse anywhere. His last resort was the hotel store. Sure, he would pay twice as much for a small bottle of pills, but it was better than having a throbbing headache the rest of the day and he really didn't want to disturb her. He could also take advantage of the free breakfast the hotel offered and bring some food and coffee back for him and Linka.

Scribbling "BRB" and drawing a heart on the hotel stationary located on the nightstand, he placed the piece of paper on his pillow just in case she woke up before he returned.

* * *

Linka began to stir five minutes later but when she rolls over, she knocks Wheeler's note to the floor. When she senses that she's alone, she opens her eyes. There is no way Wheeler woke up before her.

 _Perhaps he is in the bathroom_ , she thinks to herself.

She notices that the door is slightly ajar, and listens for the shower, hoping that maybe she could surprise him. She hears nothing, so she gets out of bed and wraps the sheet around her as she begins her search for him.

"Wheeler?" She asks before pushing the bathroom door open.

There is no sign of him. Was it all a dream? She turns around to examine the room. Her clothes are on the floor, but none of his. The fact that she has never just taken off her clothes and slept naked, drunk or not, can mean only one thing: he left when he woke up, sober and regretting his infidelity.

She sighs and decides to brush her teeth and use the toilet while she's there, her bladder also needing emptied after a night of drinking.

She tries to recall the night before. The hours between now and her fifth drink at dinner are a bit fuzzy. The bridge. The kiss. The elevator. More kissing. Her room. More kissing. The bed. More kissing. Their words. More kissing. Their actions. Again and again…and again.

 _Maybe it was all a dream. There is no way that two people as drunk as we were could have managed so much…activity._

Such a vivid dream that she took all her clothes off? She could have sworn it was real. She told him she'd have said "yes" to him if he'd asked her to marry him. They both said "I love you." They agreed it wasn't the alcohol talking. He said he'd never let her go…but he's not here.

 _It must have been a dream._

She makes her way back to the bed, intending to put her pajamas on and go back to sleep, try and fend off the headache that she can feel starting. She retrieves her purse out of the lock box in the closet and shakes out a few pills, then heads to the kitchen for a glass of water. On her way there, she steps on something, not painful, but big enough to notice. She pulls the offending object off the bottom of her foot and holds it up to examine. A button…from Wheeler's shirt.

 _It was not a dream. He was here. We really did spend the night together. He really did leave._

* * *

Despite wanting to fall back to sleep to give the headache medicine a chance to work, all Linka can do is hug her pillow and cry. A knock on her door has her quickly wiping her cheeks and drying her eyes. She gets out of bed and opens the door.

"Wheeler?"

"Sorry I had to wake you. I wanted to let you sleep, but I screwed up and forgot to grab a room key before I went to get us some coffee and bagels."

She sighs and closes her eyes, relieved that he didn't go back to Stephanie.

"What's wrong?" He asks, setting down the drinks and bag of bagels. "Oh God, you're not regretting last night are you?"

He grasps her arms and holds her in front of him.

"Don't do this Linka, we talked about it, remember? It wasn't the alcohol, it's what we both wanted…what we've always wanted. We can't go back to the way things were. I won't pretend that last night didn't happen…that it didn't mean anything to you."

"Nyet, I do not want that either. Last night…it meant everything to me. It is just…when I woke up and you were not here…I got scared. I thought you left."

"I didn't want you to think that…that's why I left the note saying where I was."

"What note?"

"The one I left on the pillow next to you!"

Her blank look sends him over to the bed to prove it to her.

"Look, it's right…where'd it go?" He looks around and finds the piece of paper laying facedown on the floor. "Here."

He hands her the note and she reads it.

"Oh…will you stop leaving me notes and just wake me up! This is the second time I have not received a note you wrote! Fortunately this time did not result in losing each other," She half jokes as she reminds him of the note she didn't receive from him two years ago.

"I'm sorry," he says as he folds his arms around her. "I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with you and have you wake up in my arms, I could feel a headache coming on though and wanted to get some aspirin before it got too bad. I tried looking around for some here, but didn't see any in the bathroom and couldn't find your purse."

"I had it locked up in the safe."

"I didn't want to bother you and I didn't want to be snooping through your things so I went to the gift shop to get some."

"How is your headache now?"

"I'm still waiting for the meds to kick in."

"Me too…come back to bed? Bring the bagels and coffee!"

Wheeler strips down to his boxers and joins her in bed. After eating, they set the remainder of their beverages on their nightstands and lay back down facing each other.

He puts his hand on her hip, pulls her close, and leans in to kiss her.

"This is how our day was supposed to start," he says.

"I like this."

"I know you wanted to go to the Eifel Tower, but I'm good with this."

"Da, me too," she says, stifling a yawn.

"Let's try and get some more sleep. We'll be glad we did later."

"Promise you will still be here when I wake up?"

"I promise. You'll never wake up alone ever again if I have my way."

"Good," she lifts her lips to his, puts her arm around his waist, and snuggles against him. "We can pretend this morning never happened and wake up to a new start."

"Sounds good to me."

He slips his arm under her head and drapes his leg over hers, holding her to him as he kisses the top of her head.

They fall back to sleep, content in each others' arms.

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Some more M-rated content in the second half of this one. Hide the kids! Delete your browser history! Don't read this at work! It's ok, won't tell your boss. ;)**

* * *

Linka wakes up to the feeling of kisses being placed on her neck. She smiles and stretches, tightening her grip on him and moving her head to capture his lips.

Remembering their agreement to start the day over, when their kiss ends he whispers,

"Good mornin', Beautiful."

"Da, it is."

He takes her hand and laces their fingers together.

"So…about last night."

"That was…unexpected."

"I was going to say last night was amazing."

"Da, that too."

"You know, I know you and Ivan have probably…"

He pauses and looks at her, when she looks away, it is confirmation to what he was saying. He wasn't surprised, but he was still somewhat disappointed, although he knows he has no right to be. Plus they are well into their 20s. It's unrealistic to think that he was her first.

"It's ok…I'm not going to pretend that I've been celibate all these years…there was someone before you…there were several after you…but none have ever been as amazing as you."

She blushes and hides against his shoulder.

"You do not need to say that, I know I am not the first…I just want to be the last."

"You will be. When we were Planeteers, there was no one else during that whole time. You were the only one that I wanted."

Hearing that makes her stomach do flips and as her lips turn up into a smile, she presses them to his shoulder.

"I waited for you. I thought you would be my first," she tells him. "Last night though…I have never felt that way before. With Ivan, I could not wait for it to be over with. With you…I never wanted it to end."

"I meant what I said, I wasn't just saying it to make you feel good. Something was different last night, as drunk as we were, it should have been a train wreck and over just as quickly…but I couldn't get enough. It's like I was trying harder to make it perfect…but I wasn't trying at all. It was effortless and still so good."

"So good," she agrees and blushes. "I never felt that way with Ivan. I never wanted to be with him the way I wanted to be with you. I was so nervous. He was my first…I thought it would get better. Last night was the first time I ever enjoyed it."

"Me too," he admits.

"Yeah right. You are a male. You are not so picky."

"Gee, thanks! I was extremely picky after I met you. When I thought I didn't have a shot with you anymore, I settled."

"Da, me too. I regret so much that we spent all these years apart. I know I kept a wall between us during our time as Planeteers. I always told myself, 'we have a job to do now. Maybe some day when we are no longer teammates, we can see where this goes,' but then I could not even admit my feelings when we left. I was too scared."

"So was I. I should have been more persistent when you left Hope Island that day. I should have went after you…gotten on the Geo Cruiser, not said anything, but just kissed you. In my head, it's what I wanted to do."

"What stopped you?"

"I was worried you'd slap me or verbally kick my ass. I guess I didn't want to be embarrassed in front of the others. Not that they hadn't seen you shoot me down a million times. I guess I just wanted to leave with some of my dignity in tact."

"I would not have turned you away then."

He laughs humorlessly.

"Don't tell me that…I've already spent the last four years imagining what my life would be like if I'd done what I wanted."

"Maybe it is best that you did not. We had four years to miss each other…to think about how things could have been…to hope that one day, we would find our way back to each other."

"Kinda like 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' thing?" He asks.

"Da."

"Do you think it worked?"

"What do you think?" She pulls him towards her for lengthy kiss.

"I guess it all worked out just fine," he says with a smile and a wink. "All that matters now is that we will never be apart again."

"That is right. This is how it will always be; waking up together…speaking of, how is it that you are awake before me?"

"I get up early these days. I don't think I've slept in past nine since I left the Planeteers."

"You are a real adult now!" She teases.

"I thought I made that clear last night when we were doing very adult things," he retorts and begins nuzzling her neck and letting his hand travel under her pajama top.

She hums her approval.

"I could get used to this."

"Good, cuz this is gonna be an every day occurrence."

"Sounds wonderful…too good to be true…it is too good to be true actually. We live on opposite sides of the world."

"Not for long," he says.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I'm sure you like what you do and from what Kwame tells me, you guys are doing some great things and making a lot of progress…I also like what I'm doing and I'm making a lot of money doing it. I know you said at dinner last night that Ivan was from a wealthy family and was basically helping to fund your organization, but I was thinking that you'd come back to L.A. with me, and I'd help by sending Kwame monthly donations to keep things running."

"And I am just supposed to abandon my work?" She asks, a little perturbed that he would be so audacious to suggest such a thing. Unlike Stephanie, she is not a gold digger who would be happy to just stay at home spending someone else's hard earned money and attending social events.

"No, not at all. You could just take on a different role. Marketing or whatever. I've seen your website…it's pretty basic. I know you can do better if you just had more time to focus on it. You could really make it a place for people to learn more about what you do. They could make donations directly from the site."

"And once I improve the website, then what? That will not take me long to do and will not be an all day job to maintain."

"Social media, Babe. Besides, the website, you'll have to set up different social media outlets for the organization. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…share pictures of the animals that you guys are rescuing and caring for. Tell their back story and how they were rescued and what horrible conditions they've been saved from. The more people see them, the more likely they are to share the posts and stories…then of course, donate."

"But there are many people in Greece, especially the older ones, who do not have the internet. They are the ones who need to see that stuff."

"Not necessarily. Yeah, you want them to know the resources are there, but if you get a global audience, you can get donations rolling in from all over. Then you can make more advertisements that don't require internet; newspaper, radio, and TV ads. And then you'll have people from around the world who want to volunteer…college students looking for something to do during their break. Humanitarians who just want to do a good deed. Rich people who want to tell their friends they did something charitable…I deal with those types of people a lot now. They're always looking for new ways to flaunt their money and try to impress people."

"I suppose you have a point."

"But if you wanna keep living in Greece and being more hands on, I'll quit my job and move there with you. It will be hard to be in the real estate business in such an economically challenged country, but maybe I can focus more on tourism. I won't be able to donate as much since I'll be making considerably less, but at least I'll be with you and that's all that matters."

"You would really do that?"

"I would do anything to be with you, yeah."

She kisses him thoroughly and pulls away.

"I cannot let you quit your job. You are also doing great things and people are following your lead…if you are no longer around to lead by example, things will go back to the way they used to be; a world full of Looten Plunders. And since you are such a great business man, I will listen to your advice and make my organization more globally accessible."

"So that's a yes? You'll move to L.A. with me?"

"Da."

"And of course any time you wanna go back to Greece, you've got my private jet at your disposal."

"You have your own jet?!"

"Yeah."

"Jason Wheeler…successful businessman," she says proudly.

"Linka Kovaleva…the love of his life," he replies.

"And you are mine."

"Marry me?"

She can't help but chuckle at his spontaneity. Some things never change. Wheeler always was one to rush in to things.

"You are already engaged," she points out.

"Not for long. Once I tell her where I've been all night, what I've been doing, and who I've been doing it with," he winks, "I don't see her sticking around."

"You will let her down gently though, da?"

"Yeah, of course…although I think she'll miss my money more than she'll miss me."

"It is too bad she does not realize what a great man she has."

"Had," he corrects.

She smiles and nods in acknowledgement of his terminated relationship.

"I loved you before you were rich…just so we are clear."

"I know," he says, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. "I suppose I should get up and go end things. The sooner I do, the sooner we can spend the rest of our lives doing this."

"Da, I suppose," she says, wrapping her arms around him and rolling over to lay on top of him. She gives him a quick kiss and asks, "Shower first?"

"Ok!" He exclaims, not even caring how eager he sounds and kisses her soundly.

He rolls out of bed, holding onto her, and carries her into the bathroom, their lips never breaking contact.

* * *

After helping each other disrobe, they step into the shower and let the hot water wash over them. Wheeler is standing behind Linka. He brushes her hair away from her neck and leans forward to kiss behind her ear. He then takes a step closer to her, eliminating the space between them and wrapping his arms around her. She can already feel the affect their actions are having on him as his erection presses against her back.

She tilts her head back and reaches up so that her hand rests on the back of his head and guides him towards her for a kiss. His hands travel upwards to lift her breasts. As their kiss deepens, his hands continue to work her, gently squeezing as his thumbs rub back and forth. After a few moments of this, one of his hands slowly slips down over her stomach, along her hip, and down her thigh. As it travels back up, he begins to slowly massage her.

She hums her pleasure and breaks their kiss as her head falls back to rest on his shoulder.

"Or did you just have getting clean in mind when you suggested a shower?" His raspy voice says against her ear.

"I had no expectations…only anticipation that you would make things interesting."

"How am I doin' so far?"

"You have not disappointed."

"Good," he says, kissing along her jaw line until she turns her head back towards him so their lips can meet again.

"Bozhe moy," she gasps as she begins moving against his hand and her movements stimulate him even further.

She reaches behind her, between them, and takes him in her hand. The pace of his movements increases and he begins to quickly thrust his fingers within her.

"Yes," she whispers.

"You like that?"

"Da…but that is not…mmm."

"Let yourself go."

"Nyet, not yet," she whimpers.

"Yes, Linka…let go. I'll get my turn."

He suddenly withdraws and she thinks she may have disappointed him, but he swiftly turns her around in his arms and begins trailing kisses down her body, taking a few moments to pay attention to her breasts before dropping to his knees before her. She grabs his head to both steady herself and to hold him against her. He wraps one arm around the back of her leg to help balance her while the other hand lifts her other leg up to rest over his shoulder and give him better access.

"Jason…yes."

Her legs begin to tremble as her body prepares for release.

"Bozhe moy," she repeats in small gasps of breath.

He smiles triumphantly against her as she cries out.

Her body begins to go limp, no longer able to support herself and he tightens his grip as he gently removes her leg from his shoulder and stands to hold her.

"Yes," she whispers once more.

"Yeah, you keep saying that…I must've really blown your mind since you usually say it in Russian…I've made you forget your native language and now you're stuck in 'English mode,'" he says with a kiss.

"I am answering your question from earlier."

"That you liked it?"

"Nyet…well, da, I did like it…but not that question. In bed…you asked me to marry you. I never gave you an answer…now I have…unless you were not serious when you asked…"

He doesn't give her a chance to say anything more as his lips cover hers and he presses her back against the wall and between his body.

"I meant it…more than anything I've ever meant before. You're the only one I've ever wanted to marry."

"Good, then it is settled…there is just one more thing we need to take care of."

"Name it," he says, brushing his fingers down her cheek.

"I do not have a name for it yet, but for now, we will just call it 'mine,'" she says with a devilish grin as she takes his erection firmly in her hand.

"I'm close, just warning you."

"Then get over here…"

He positions himself at her entrance and pushes up into her, his swift thrust elevating her off the ground. She wraps her legs around him and rests her arms on his shoulders for leverage as she rides him. As he fills her, he finds just the right spot repeatedly. She once again finds release and it isn't long before he joins her. They shut the water off and she grabs a towel to wrap it around them as he carries her back to the bedroom and lays down on the bed, reluctant to withdraw from her.

"I love you, Babe."

"I love you too, Yankee. More than I ever thought possible."

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Oops, I've been forgetful. Thanks LouiseX for reminding me. I got you all a present for Earth Day.**

* * *

Wheeler quietly shuts the door behind him, but it wasn't necessary. Stephanie was already awake.

"Jason! Where the hell have you been? You forgot your phone."

"I went out."

"Oh my God! What happened to your shirt? Were you in a fight?"

"No. It's uh…it got caught on something."

"Stumbling drunk? Didn't you drink enough at dinner?" She asks condescendingly.

"I wasn't drinking anymore...I was with Linka."

"Kind of late to have a chat...and all night?"

"We didn't really talk much...well, we did at first...then we kissed..."

"What?! That slut!"

"Whoa! Hold on...I started it."

"You did? Well...you were pretty drunk, so I guess I'll let it slide," she says, reminding herself that he's her main source of income. "I think you both over did it. This is going to make things pretty awkward the rest of the weekend, so don't expect me to play nice...and try to remember who your fiancé is. I'd appreciate it if you to keep your distance from her."

"That's not going to happen...I'm uh, just here to get my things, then I'm going back to Linka's room," he says as he begins haphazardly filling his suitcase, not really caring about wrinkles, he just wants to get out of there.

"Seriously?! You're breaking up with me?! In Paris?"

"I'll call the airline and have a ticket back to L.A. waiting for you. When you get back to the house, call a moving company to pack up your things, and just send me the bill."

He heads for the bathroom to gather his toiletries and adds them to his bag before zipping it up.

"So that's it?"

"You know we were never right for each other...it's like Ma-Ti said at dinner last night. We were only settling because we didn't want to be alone. You deserve someone who you're compatible with...someone who will love you. I'm not that guy. I'll always love Linka."

"Whatever," she says, and deciding to try to hurt his pride the way he's hurt hers. "I've been screwing your mortgage broker anyway."

"Jared? That son of a...you know what, I don't even care. I hope you're happy with him," he shrugs and lifts the bag off the bed and onto the floor before wheeling it towards the exit.

"I'm keeping the ring. There's no way I'm letting you give it to her!"

He stops and turns to address her.

"That's fine...keep it. I'm gonna give her a ring that I pick out just for her, and I know that no matter what I get her, she'll love it...because she loves me."

"Yeah, right…like she loved you all those years ago? Don't be an idiot. She wanted nothing to do with you when you were just a Planeteer. Now that you're successful and rich, _NOW_ she is suddenly interested? I suppose you'll be funding her little animal project now? You must have deeper pockets than her former investor…donations in exchange for sex…is that kinda like prostitution for charity?"

"Shut up! You don't know her…you don't know me. You're describing something _YOU_ would do…oh, and could you give Jared a message for me? Tell him he's fired…I assume you'll be breaking things off with him now that he's unemployed and soon to be broke."

"So what? You're not the only game in town. He can find another job with one of your competitors!"

"Oh? You think it's that easy? Who's gonna hire him once word gets out about why I fired him? Disloyal, untrustworthy…those aren't exactly qualities a businessman or woman wants in the person they're trusting with their money."

"Uhhh…"

"Right. Look, I still meant what I said. I'll get you back to L.A. and I'll pay for your move. Let's just be done with this sham of a relationship."

"Fine."

"Take care," he says as he leaves, trying to be the better person and remain civil.

"Whatever," she mumbles, her thoughts pre-occupied with how she is going to pay off all the credit card bills she's racked up in the days leading up to her first trip to Paris. "Shit."

* * *

Wheeler knocks on Linka's door and she opens it immediately, feeling like he's been gone for hours even though it had only been a few minutes.

"How did it go?" She asks.

"As well as can be expected," he replies, stepping towards her and wrapping his arms around her. "Glad it's over with and I can finally be with the woman I've always wanted to be with."

"Bambi Blight?" She teases.

He shakes his head.

"Haven't thought of her in years…you're the only one that I've never been able to get out of my head…ever since the day we met."

"Sounds painful," she jokes.

"Sometimes it was…but right now, it's worth it."

"Da," she agrees right before his lips meet hers. "So…the others are going to be quite shocked when we show up in the lobby together."

"I forgot all about that actually," he says with a sly smile.

"I had several texts from all of them."

"I saw I had a bunch of texts too. I figured they were all from Stephanie since she jumped all over me as soon as I got in the door about forgetting my phone."

"I told them to go ahead and have breakfast without me…Gi thought I was hungover…she also assumed you are as well since you had not answered her texts."

"Part of me feels bad that we came here for a Planeteer reunion and aren't spending any time with them, but part of me doesn't care and only wants to spend all my time with you."

"Da, I know what you mean…they are probably still down there…we can join them and discuss what our plans are for the rest of the day."

"Yeah, that's fine…man are they gonna be surprised when we show up together."

Just then, Linka's phone dings and she looks at the message.

"Maybe not so surprised. Gi just said she saw Stephanie storm through the lobby with her luggage…she said she wonders what happened."

"I guess that's our cue to go fill her in."

* * *

 **To Be Continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I really enjoyed hearing all about your hate for Stephanie! Wheeler and Linka are finally getting around to their long overdue first date...well, second date if you count the night before as their first! ;)**

* * *

"Well that went smoother than I expected," Wheeler says as he climbs into the taxi and slides in next to her.

"Da, the interrogation was much less thorough than I was expecting…Gi must be mellowing with age!"

"Yeah, I'm kinda disappointed actually. I thought we were really going to shock them with our news…they didn't seem surprised at all!"

"More like relieved!" She chuckles.

"Exactly. Maybe they already know what we know?"

"Which is what?" She asks, although she already knows the answer.

He leans over and kisses her.

"That it was always supposed to be you and me," he whispers against her lips, causing her to smile.

"Ahem," comes from the driver in the front seat. "The meter is running. Where to?"

"Oh! Sorry," Linka says.

"It is ok…This is Paris after all…I am used to it," the driver replies.

"Eifel Tower please," Wheeler says.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," he says with a smile. He turns back around and leaves the young lovers to their cuddling.

* * *

The group of Planeteers and their partners meet in front of the Eifel Tower. The couples eventually split up and go off alone but agree to meet at the café across the street for a late lunch.

Wheeler and Linka made sure to get a picture together and then Wheeler led her away to a private spot away from the other tourists. He takes her hands in his and stands in front of her.

"These last…12 or so hours have been…" Wheeler is at a loss for words to describe how happy he is.

"Unexpected?" Linka offers.

"Was it?"

"Well…nyet…I was hoping that we would have gotten around to this…actually, I was hoping we would have gotten around to this the last time we met up, but life got in the way. Then I had hoped that this time we could finally get things right, but when I got here and found out that you had brought another girl…a fiancé! I had given up hope."

"That's how I felt when Kwame told me you had a boyfriend and it was pretty serious."

"I would not say it was serious…it was convenient…kind of what I had always assumed about how things would have been with us on Hope Island…that you were only interested in me because you did not have much to choose from. Gi was always more of a little sister so you were left with me as your only option."

"That's not why I liked you!" He defends himself.

"I know that now…I just could not see that when I was younger. I was always thinking negatively and preparing myself for the worst. People I loved always left and I ended up alone…my parents, my grandpa, Mishka left for university right after my grandpa died and left Babushka and me. Then I got called to join the Planeteers and **_I_** was the one who left. My life is nothing but leaving…I did not want to go through that with you too, yet my fear is what kept us apart. We ended up leaving each other when we could have been together the whole time and never had to say goodbye."

"Uh, technically, we didn't say goodbye…you totally blew me off," he reminds her for the second time in less than 12 hours.

"Ok, I get it…I screwed up," she says, frustrated with herself for all the time wasted.

He had intended for his comment to be a joke, but clearly she took it another way. He releases her hands and holds her by the shoulders.

"No…you didn't. I did…it was supposed to be a joke, but given how you'd just poured your heart out about your feelings on leaving and being left…I'm an idiot."

"Da, but you are my idiot," she says taking his face in her hands and rubbing her thumbs over his cheekbones.

"Yeah, you're stuck with me now."

"Good."

"I got you something," he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bag. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to wrap it. It's not much…but it's the best I could do at a hotel gift shop. And it's kinda cheesy, but I wanted to get you something to mark the moment until I can get to a real jewelry store and get you a proper engagement ring…"

"I love it," she interrupts as she turns around in a silent request for him to place the necklace with the Eifel Tower charm around her neck. Once he has it clasped, she turns around to face him. "I love what it represents and I love that it came from you. I do not care where you got it from or how 'cheap' it was. To me, it is priceless because it represents our love. I love you so much, Yankee."

He smiles widely, happy to finally be with someone who loves him and not his money.

"I love you too, Babe. You are the only one."

She pulls him down for a kiss, which he gladly accepts and returns. They spend quite some time like that, enjoying the moment overlooking the city of love and content in knowing that their future will have many more moments like this.

* * *

 **The End.**


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